The lineage of our teachings

According to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist teachings can be collected into nine yanas, or vehicles. Since it is that which transports beings along the paths and grounds towards enlightenment, it is referred to as a vehicle. The following is a brief presentation of the vehicles.

Three outer vehicles leading from the origin of suffering

The three causal vehicles of characteristics are the śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha and bodhisattva vehicles. They are so-called because they lead us towards the state of freedom from suffering by abandoning actions and obscurations which are the cause or ‘origin’ of suffering. The motivation in the sravaka stage is the feeling of renunciation, the wish to escape from the sufferings of mundane phenomena. The activity involves observing discipline with regards to body, speech and thought. Meditation is on calm abiding śamatha or tranquility, gradually evolving into insight, sublime seeing. In the stage of pratyekabuddha, one meditates further on the twelve links of interdependent origination. As one evolves, one’s view is further refined and subtle. At the Bodhisattva level, the focus is on generating compassion, with six transcendent perfections such as generosity, ethical disciple, forbearance, diligence and concentration, culminating in transcendent wisdom beyond constructs.

The three outer tantras

Then the next level of vehicle includes entering into the teachings of tanra, the inner continuum. There are three outer classes of tantra: kriyā, caryā , and yoga tantra. Here, the stress is on ascetic conduct and ritual purification similar to the Vedic tradition. Meditation in the beginning involves visualization of wisdom deities, ‘gyanasatva’ as the king and oneself 'samayasatva as the subject and one seeks accomplishment and meditates aided by ritual offerings .  As one evolves, one begins to gain familiarity, closeness with the wisdom deity as sibling, friend and eventually one visualizes the wisdom deity dissolving into oneself as water being poured into water. One thus meditates from the gross to the subtle and from external to internal. 

The Three Inner Tantras

There are three systems of meditation: The Father Tantra, Mother Tantra, and the Nondual Tantra. The Father Tantra mainly includes the generation phase of visualizing the deity as being luminosity inseparable from the great openness, emptiness. The Mother Tantra primarily involves the completion phase of meditating on bliss inseparable from this great openness, emptiness. The Nondual Tantra involves meditation on the generative and completion phases in union. According to the tradition of the Nyingma School, these three are called Mahayoga, Anuyoga, Atiyoga. 

The basic view of Mahayoga , ‘great yoga’ is to realize the inseparability of apparent phenomena and great openness which is absolute truth.  One learns to meditate on everything as the appearance of pure phenomena which is the relative truth. This involves practicing total non-differentiation, and non-discrimination such as between dirty and clean, self and others. In the Anuyoga, one trains in establishing the mental sphere of unborn space and its unobstructed luminosity. The inseparability of the two leads to the sphere of great bliss. The practice involves meditation on subtle channels, air, and the essence within our subtle body, mind.  

Atiyoga

All the preceding paths have evolved as foundations of entry into Atiyoga. The special instructions of Atiyoga establishes the view that all phenomena are spontaneously enlightened from the beginning. The practice involves establishing primordially pure wisdom through the natural revelation of the ‘cutting through the solidity’ of phenomena and ‘passing spontaneously to the direct, clear light manifestation of the enlightened state.  There are specific instructions and meditations most one follows to facilitate the realization. The result of Atiyoga is the realization that the spontaneous, primordially awakened state is right here and now, that there is no need to look and search beyond it.  It is the recognition of  purity and spontaneity  in which the mundane world is naturally nirvana.

(References: Natural Liberation of Dualistic Confusion (gZung dZin Khrul-pa Rang Drol ) by Degyal Rinpoche  and 'The Small Golden Key' by Dungsey Thinley Norbu Rinpoche

The Vajrayana tradition or also known as the 'Diamond vehicle' encompasses a comprehensive path to enlightenment with various stages, each with specific practice manuals and guides. In general, the path for a devoted practitioner follows the following stages. 

Preliminary practices: 

As the foundational practice, it includes a set of reflection and meditations which makes mind supple and receptive to higher teachings. In fact, the preliminary practices involves training on all key aspects of Buddhist meditation practice and on its own also serves as complete path of transcendence. Preliminaries cover two phases. In the outer general preliminary, it involves reflection on rarity and value of life with freedoms and advantages, on impermanence, on actions, cause and effect, and on defects of mundane life. One invokes a sense of renunciation and an urge towards virtue and higher knowledge. 

One relies on a teacher and engages in inner preliminaries such as taking refuge (which involves committing to the practice, teacher and the assembly) ; generating mind of awakening 'bodhicitta' ; accumulating merit through mandala offering ; purification of obscurations with meditation on Vajrasattva (state of purity) ; and Guru yoga, uniting with the wisdom mind of the enlightened masters. Often each element of the five fold practice is accumulated five hundred thousand times or as seen fit by the teacher before proceeding to the subsequent practices. In the conclusions of preliminaries, one also practices on the cutting through "Chod' for swift realization of natural state and also on the transference of consciousness practice which enables those unable to practice the path to fully still can transcend at the moment of death. These practices can be in a retreat environment or one’s own home dedicating certain times in day beyond work. 

Generation phase: 

In this stage, one visualizes chosen meditation deity and their pure sphere invoking an enlightened vision of phenomena. It may be artificial and imaginary in the beginning but since they pertain to the enlightened vision of the past masters, one ultimately becomes familiar and one with the vision. One adopts new habits of perception, refining ordinary habits and engages at more subtle levels of experience.

Completion phase: 

As one progresses to a stage where the pure vision becomes a living experience, one proceeds into further levels which involves meditating on subtle energies of the body, channels, and essences. Ordinary perceptions of gross body, speech and mind begin falling apart into their inner subtleties, along with supreme bliss and wisdom. 

Great Perfection, Atiyoga: 

As one progresses with the above stages, one familiarizes with the illustrative aspect of wisdom through meditative experiences. These act as pointers to the ultimate nature of reality. One is then introduced to the nature of mind directly by an experienced teacher. One then familiarizes, establishes into the direct vision of the ultimate nature of mind, the absolute wisdom beyond reference points. The practice in order to realize and establish it involves ‘cutting through of solidity’ to original purity (Trekchö ) and 'leap over' to spontaneous presence (Thögal). One undergoes specific postures, gazes and object of focus to activate this spontaneous, luminous aspect of mind. As the practice culminates, one transcends beyond all bondage of the subject object duality, remaining in non-dual wisdom beyond constructs. These practices are traditionally done in retreat environment.

The preliminary practices serve as the prerequisite for the subsequent higher practices. As one engages in later stages, guidance and instructions from an experienced teacher is the key. Various texts and manuals are used as a complimentary to the oral instructions of a teacher.

There are four major cycles of teachings revealed, compiled by Dudjom Lingpa. 

• The Profound teachings of Naturally Liberated Wisdom Mind (Zabchö Gongpa Rangdrol). This includes the practices of Avalokitesvara. 
• The Wisdom Net of Pure Visions (Daknang Yeshe Drawa ). This contains Chö practices based on Tröma Nakmo
•  The Vast Space Treasury of the Nature of Reality (Chönyi Namkhai Longdzö ) cycle which also contains Chö practices based on Tröma Nakmo
• The Profound Secret Doctrine of the Heart Essence of Dakinis (The Zabsang Khandro Nyingtik cycle) which contains the Namchak Pudri Vajrakilaya practice.

The following are some of the major texts and teachings 

• Nang Jang (Translated in English as Buddhahood Without Meditation), key instructional text on cutting through solidity (Threkcho) practice of great perfection. 
• Neluk Rangjung (Natural abiding - Translated in English as The Vajra Essence, Dudjom Lingpa’s Visions of The Great Perfection) which provides a complete instruction on meditation from the introductory stage to the highest Atiyoga practices. 
• Sherik Dorje Nӧnpo Gyü ( Translated in English as The Vajra of Conscious Awareness Tantra) 
• Collected teachings, commentaries of Degyal Rinpoche including  Zungdzin Thrulpa Rangdrol  (Natural Liberation of Dualistic Confusion) which presents a comprehensive path of meditation from the beginner level to highest Atiyoga. 

• HH Dudjom Sange Pema Shedpa Rinpoche 
• Shiva Rinpoche, reincarnation of Golok Serta Rimpoche
• Pema Riktsal Rinpoche
• Degyal Rinpoche Jigme Orgen Choedak
• Tsokhang Rinpoche Orgen Drimed 
• Geypa Rinpoche
• Sangye Rinpoche
• Rangrig Rinpoche
• Thondup Rinpoche
• Lama Gyatso Rinpoche